Prosperity and financial services officer, economic and social team

Circular Nbr : 31
The Economic and Social team has a full-time vacancy at the British Embassy in Paris for a locally-engaged Prosperity and Financial Services Officer. This vacancy is initially for a period of 12 months on a fixed-term contract which may possibly be extended. The job-holder will report to the Head of the Economic and Social Policy Team, but will also work closely with the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) team.

The Economic and Social team is responsible for monitoring, analysing and reporting on the French economy and economic policy, and for promoting cooperation between the UK and France on economic issues. UKTI in France helps companies in Britain increase their competitiveness through overseas trade in France; and helps companies in France locate and expand in the UK. See our websites for further information:

https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/british-embassy-paris
https://www.gov.uk/government/world/organisations/uk-trade-investment-france

Main purpose of the job:

Working to the Head of the Economic and Social team, the successful candidate will:

I) act as a strategic coordinator for the France Network's Prosperity Network, including by:

• identifying opportunities to use our understanding of the French economic context and policy to support delivery of UKTI's business win targets;
• coordinating delivery of the France Network's public communications strategy on prosperity and economic issues;
• helping develop and deliver strategic prosperity campaigns that maximise the impact of our teams' resources, knowledge and contacts to deliver specific business and policy wins.

II) promote the UK's policy and commercial interests in the area of financial services (FS), including by:

• monitoring and understanding French financial services policy, the French FS industry and public views of FS, and reporting to UK government departments on key issues;
• communicating and promoting UK policy on FS, including lobbying on specific issues;
• supporting the work of the UK Financial Services Trade and Investment Board (https://www.fstib.com/ ) by promoting the UK financial services industry publically and with key decision-makers to reduce barriers to cooperation and promote trade and investment.

The successful candidate will have a good understanding of economics and business and be able to analyse French policy and markets in order to develop opportunities to support the UK France Network's economic policy, trade and investment objectives. Ideally they will have had some experience in the financial services sector in France or the UK.

They will be a self-starter, who is creative, innovative and confident in communicating their ideas to others. They will need a mix of strong organisational skills plus the ability to challenge productively and bring new perspectives, drawing on an understanding of the UK's objectives, and the French context.

Essential skills and experience

• Understanding of the financial services industry
• Highly-developed written and spoken communication skills
• An ability to grasp complex issues quickly; and to engage with both technical detail and the wider strategic context
• Proven relationship-building skills
• Creativity and an ability to spot strategic opportunities
• Self-motivation and a strong capacity to work independently
• Fluency in written and spoken English and French (this will be tested during the interview process)

Desirable skills and experience

• Experience of working in a policy context
• Experience in marketing, communications, business development and/or project management
• Understanding of the UK government
• Educational qualification in business and/or economics

Salary

The basic gross salary will be € 3,482.00 per month.

Applications

Applications should comprise a covering letter setting out how you meet the above criteria (max. 2 pages), an up-to-date CV (max. 3 pages) and the names and contact details of two referees.
They should be sent preferably by email to: apps.paris@fco.gov.uk or by post to: Human Resources Manager, Corporate Services, British Embassy, 35 rue du Faubourg St Honoré, 75383 Paris Cédex 08 by the 31 July 2014 at the latest.
Short-listed candidates will be interviewed shortly thereafter. Please note that we are unable to meet fares and hotel costs for candidates invited for interview.

Candidates who are not invited for interview may assume that their applications have been unsuccessful.

The Embassy will not consider applications from existing staff who have not successfully completed their probation period or, in the case of staff on temporary contracts (CDDs), have not yet completed two thirds of their contract

Your application will not be considered if you do not follow the guidance below:
1 Do not attach a photograph of yourself to the application.
2 Your application must be sent in English only.
3 Do not send any supporting documentation other than those items specifically requested above.
4 Send your application by e-mail or by hard copy, not both.
5 If you send your application by e-mail, the covering letter, references and CV must be combined into one attached file in .pdf or .doc format.
6 If you send your application by e-mail, the attached file must be no larger than 300kb.
7 If you send your application by e-mail, the subject line of your e-mail must be formatted as follows: Name (First name Surname) Application, Circular Number, Year.
8 For example: "Jane Bloggs, Application, 02, 2011"
9 The Circular Number can be found at the top of this advert.
10 Your CV must clearly indicate all nationalities you hold.

The British Embassy is an equal opportunities employer, and welcomes applications from individuals who wish to work flexibly and will consider any such requests carefully.

Applicants who are not citizens of an EU country will have to provide proof of their legal right to reside and work in France.

Staff recruited locally by the British Embassy in Paris are subject to local terms and conditions of service based on a) French law and b) FCO guidance for Local Staff. The posts we offer are not an entry point into the UK's Diplomatic Service.

All appointments are subject to satisfactory security clearance. The successful applicant will be required to provide a copy of his/her passport or national identity card for all nationalities held, an up-to-date criminal record (casier judiciaire) for recent countries of residence (which can be obtained online atwww.justice.gouv.fr/cjn/), two written proofs of address (utility invoices and/or bank statements) and two references.

HR Team, British Embassy, Paris